Push button slide assembly for tuners



PUSH EUTTGN S EMELY F611 TUNERS John H. Teaf, Merchantville, NJL,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Thompson Rama Wooldridge Inc, Euclid,(Ithio, a corporation oi Ohio Filed May 26, 19:31, er. No. 112,962 9Claims. (Cl. '74--l0.33)

The invention relates to improved push button slide assemblies for ratiotuners, particularly those of the type used in automobiles.

in automobile type radios tuning may be eftected by the manualdepression oi push buttons preset to different broadcasting stations.For a background description of the overall tuner structure referencemay be made to my prior Patents No. 2,8 2,898,767, dated August 26,1958, and August e actual tuning, of course, is eiiected by thepositioning of magnetic cores in coils, forming variable inductances inthe tuning circuits, through means including slide assemblies operableby such push buttons. Each slide assembly comprises, in brief, a pair ofslide members, a cam element tor adjustment of magnetic core positioningtreadle bars, and a locking lever for the cam element. inward relativesliding movement of these members effects looking oi the cam element bythe lever at a predetermine setting and outward relative slidingmovement efiects release oi the cam element to permit a change in suchsettin it will be understood that a push button is secured to the shankor one of the slide members oi each slide assembly, and this push buttonprojects through a front panel oi the tuner which is integrated with theinstrument panel or o 'herwise mounted inside t e vehicle. Typically, aplurality of push buttons, say live, are closely arranged in the trouttuner panel in a vertical or horizontal row.. The general appearance ofthe visible front tuner panel and other portions of the radio and itskeeping with the interior decorative scheme of the vehicle are, ofcourse, matters oi concern.

The invention concerns particularly the maintaining neat and properalignment of the row of these push buttons. For various reasonsappearing presently, the push buttons may tend to present an unpleasingappearance of misalignrnert. As mentioned, a push button slide assemblyof the type under consideration is comprised of slide relatively movableto lock and unlock the cam element. These members may become loose,permitting play between the parts of the assembly, and even though theslide members are in locked position, the slide member bearing the pushbutton may be movable transversely to the other slide member an to therow of push buttons to a limited extent. Looseness oi the members may becaused by a number of factors, though probably the most common is thatof progressive wear. Also, a push button may be accidently bumped, ormay be roughly mistreated, thereby damaging slightly the slide assemblyand enlarging the original clearances between the slide members. Afurther cause of looseness may be that the push button and itsassociated slide member may be purposely or inadvertently stressedtransversely oi the other slide member, though the tuner was notdesigned or intended for such handling. To the end that play 2 partsmight be minimized, in order thereby to discourage undesiredmisalignment of push buttons, it has been thought necessary to maintainclose manufacturing tolerances in manufacture of the slide assembly.Obviously, thereiore, liberalizing oi manufacturing tolerances, w ilenevertheless attaining the desired result, would represent a definiteadvantage.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a push buttonslide asse bly whereby a row of push ut- Edit-Edd hatented Jan. 22, 1963tons in a tuner will maintain proper alignment despite looseness oi theparts thereof due to various causes.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription, read in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FlGURE l is an illustration of the tuner;

FlGURE 2 is a side view of bly according to the invention, in its lockedposition;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom View of the slide assembly shown in FlGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the slide assembly, the assembly here beingin the unlocked position; and

FEGURE 5 is a view from the left end of the slide assembly as shown inFIGURE 4.

Referring to FlGURE 1, there is illustrated that portion of a radiowhich normally is visible when it has been installed in a vehicle,namely, the front panel 2 having the usual dial 4, ou-cfi and volumeknob 6, manual tuning knob d and tuning push buttons lit. Referring nextto FlGURE-S 2 and '5, there is shown an individual slide assembly 12,each push button having one of these assemblies associated therewith andoperated thereby to etiect tuning to a Assembly front panel of a a pushbutton slide assemthe assembly being shown preset broadcasting station.12 comprises generally a pair of slide members 14 and 16, previouslymentioned, having a tang or shank 18 adapted to receive one of the pushbuttons lit. Though the basic structure of assembl 12 is the same asthat disclosed in said ?atent 2,848,960, and similar in principle tosaid Patent 2,898,767, it will briefly be described herein. First, itmay be noted that member 14 has edges 15 and 1'7 which cooperate withslots in the tuner frame (not shown), whereby transverse motion 0 theslide members is restricted and they are guided for longitudinal motion.A bracket 2% riveted to member 14 has an upstanding portion 22 whichprovides a fulcrum for a lever 2d. The left end of lever 24 is adaptedto be forced upwardly, against the action of a spring 26 which also isriveted with bracket it; to member 14, by means of a cam 2% projectingfrom slide member 16. it may be noted that, as viewed in FlGURE 2, cam28 has a. downwardly turned portion 3% which projects through a slot 32in member l t and engages the bottom of the member adjacent the slot soas to hold members is and la in sliding relationship. At its right endlever 24 is provided with bosses 3d adapted to engage and tightly gripthe cam element 36 previously mentioned. Thus the carnming upwardly ofthe leit end of lever 24, upon inward movement of member 16 relative tome ber 14, results in the movement downward of bosses 34 to lock cam 36in position. it may be noted further that the right end 3% of spring 26acts upwardly against the right end of: lever 24, tending to disengagethe same from the cam 35 upon sliding movement of member 16 to the leftas viewed in FlGURE 2. The spring dtl is provided merely as ananti-rattling device.

Passing to matters of greater interest, the member 16 is guided forsliding movement relative to member lidby means of the legs t2 and d3which are formed by turning downwardly the sides of slide member 16.Guidance is also provided to some extent by the cooperation of extension3% and slot 32. There has previously the fact that a loose sliding fitbetween the slide members will give rise to misalignment of the pushbuttons, which is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of appearance. thedrawings an overall clearance 0 between the left end of member 14 andthe legs 42 and 43, and it will be evident that this clearance willdetermine the amount by which the tang o: shank end (1%) oi member lomay be moved up or dowi (in the plane at FIGURE 3 or 4) with respect toth in respect of the clearance c in particular. absent the detailsdescribed hereafter, the clearance may be enlarged either though wear orby mistreatment.

With respect and 43 naturally will tend According to the invention theabove problems are he member 14 and a boss or member 16. The width ofslot 44 is only very slightly greater than the diameter of the roundboss 47,

tively inward means (42 and 43 slide members.

In an ordinary slide assembly, i.e. and boss 47 one in which slot 44provided, the slide members may wardly as viewed in FIGURE 3, themembers 14 and 16 will urged upwardly, will determined only byclearances, f legs 43 and an elongate slot formed in the other of lengththereof, said into said slot and being slidable therein with smallclearance during relative sliding movements of said member uner slideassembly comprising first and second 4. A t elongate slide portion oftheir members in relative sliding movements between inner and outerpositions respectively, a cam elemembers and an elongate slot formed inthe said members and aligned slot and being slidable therein with smallclearance during relative sliding movements of said members.

on one of formed in the other of said members and aligned with thelength thereof, said and being slidable during relative sliding move-References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,489,544 Schwarz et al. Nov. 29, 1949 2,556,839 Cretella June 12, 19512,659,236 Allen Nov. 17, 1953 2,793,531 Thompson May 28, 1957 2,898,767Teaf Aug. 11, 1959

1. A TUNER SLIDE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATE SLIDEMEMBER OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER FOR A PORTION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE LENGTHS,MEANS HOLDING SAID MEMBERS IN SLIDING RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER, MEANSGUIDING SAID MEMBERS FOR RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENTS BETWEEN OUTER ANDINNER FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY, A CAM ELEMENT PIVOTALLYMOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, MEANS OPERABLE BY INWARD RELATIVESLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS TO LOCK SAID CAM ELEMENT AGAINSTROTATION, AND SEPARATE, ADDITIONAL MEANS RESTRICTING LATERAL PLAYBETWEEN SAID MEMBERS, IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTH THEREOF,DUE TO INCOMPLETE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAID GUIDING MEANS.